Sunday Sundries 040: Shopping for Sandals & A New Show with a Bookish Connection

Plus, links. Lots of them.

Welcome to Sunday Sundries, the antidote to—or at least a distraction from—your Sunday Scaries.

Hi friends,

Bigger news: I actually finished my draft this week! I can’t say for certain how I feel about it—the pendulum swung wildly between “this is amazing!” and “this is crap!” over the last week as I did a second pass—but I can say I’m proud of how hard I worked.

I truly can’t explain the level of braindead I felt on Friday after hitting send, so I’m looking forward to switching into a slower gear for at least a week. Outside of tending to life admin that’s been neglected—tidying my apartment, opening packages that accumulated on my dining room table, my email inbox—I’m excited to have more brainpower to dedicate to the newsletter.

Also, I’m planning some fun mid-workday adventures. I have big “school’s out for the summer” energy, even though I’ll be back in session much sooner than any actual students.

But, for now, let’s sundry!

🛍️ Shopping For: Sandals

For the past few years, I’ve been ardently devotion to these Lulu’s sandals, which I’ve owned in a veritable rainbow of colors. They’re cheap and comfortable—like, “walk 5 miles, no problem” comfortable. But I can also admit that they’re not particularly stylish, and by the end of the summer they give me the most horrific tan lines. All that’s to say, I’m not giving them up cold turkey, but I am looking to broaden my sandal horizons this summer.

1. Margaux Flat Sandals ($265): On the pricier end—but this brand is known for their quality—I grabbed these in the trendy butter yellow color and have been loving them.

   1. Sizing & comfort notes: they run narrow (I ordered a wide and I’m not usually wide). Also, I’d call these 2 miles comfortable, which likely won’t be an issue if you don’t live in a walking city.

2. Margaux Wrap Sandals ($255): After having such a good experience with the above, I’m also considering these influencer-favorite wrap sandals. They’re usually waitlisted, but right now they have almost all sizes in stock.

3. Madewell Bangle Sandals ($118): Another cute wrap sandal option, and love that it has a built-in anklet look.

4. Amanu Rainbow Sandals ($345): I’m very close to justifying these sandal’s price to myself because they really do match anything!

   1. If you want a slightly cheaper rainbow option, I’m also eyeing these. And the Birk-esque sole gets rave reviews on comfort.

5. Dolce Vita Raffia Sandals ($100): I got these for my Palm Beach trip and they’ve been in heavy rotation for dinners (they’re comfortable, but not long walk sandals).

6. Dolce Vita Mesh Fisherman Sandals ($140): I haven’t found myself super tempted by the fisherman sandal trend, but these mesh ones intrigue me! There’s also a simpler non-fisherman version that comes in a very cute pale blue or pale green.

Bonus Sandals:

• On my Palm Beach trip, my friend Julie raved about these Amazon flip flops that come in a billion colors. I got them in light blue because it was probably time to retire my 20-year-old (seriously) Reefs.

• Yes, I am aware of these lobster sandals (there’s a ballet flat, too), and hoping one or both go on sale before this summer’s lobster roll off (IYKYK, and if you don’t you will soon).

📺 A New Show with a Bookish Connection

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a screening of a new show called Outrageous that’s coming to Britbox on June 18. Set in 1930’s Britain (the period costuming is to die for!), the show follows the six Mitford sisters. I’d never heard of them before, but the Midford sisters are real historical figures, multiple of whom went onto become famous—or infamous.

While the show focuses more on the political beliefs tearing the family apart—the parallels to today’s political landscape are eerie—I was also intrigued by the oldest sister, Nancy Mitford, who would become an acclaimed novelist. Her most famous novel, The Pursuit of Love (1945), is the start of a trilogy of heavily autobiographical romantic comedies about the love lives of an aristocratic family. If that doesn’t intrigue you, perhaps the fact that the narrator’s mother, Lady Idina Sackville (also referred to as “The Bolter”) was the inspiration behind the Taylor Swift song of the same name.

Despite my teetering TBR pile, I’m adding this to my summer reading list!

💎 A Jewelry Sale to Know About

One of my favorite jewelry brands, Monica Vinader, is having not one but TWO sales. First is their up to 50% off flash sale, which ends tonight. But they’re also having a regular summer sale which goes through July 3. If you have gifting occasions coming up (giving or receiving!)… keep this in mind.

A few items to start your browsing: while the pearl necklace I’ve been layering with everything isn’t included, this smaller—and equally cute—version is. As is this engravable locket. I’ve also been wearing this chain bracelet with—importantly!—a long-nail-friendly clasp on an almost daily basis. I love layering it with fun, cheaper beaded bracelets.

• The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden won this year’s Women’s Prize. I’m still thinking about this book 5 months later.

• IMO not enough brands make spray sunscreen in TSA-friendly sizes: this trio (with fun scents!) is on sale. As is the full-size version.

• A friend texted me a rave review of the new movie Jane Austen Wrecked My Life. I’m seeing it tonight, so stay tuned!

• Love that a long-reads book club was part of this writer’s quest to heal her attention span. (Related: hate that my attention span was too short to read the whole article.)

• Relevant to our interests:

  Michelle Martin
  has a newsletter packed with Portland, ME recs!

• In other Portland news: you might find a golden ticket in your local Little Free Library that wins you a trip to Portland, OR.

• Grace Atwood
  gushed about these shorts in her newsletter yesterday (if you’re looking for a Saturday AM version of Sunday Sundries… this is it!). I bought them immediately along with this polo shirt (weird craving for me, but going with it…).

More soon,

Becca